Since 1999 I have been I have spent the last, hmmm, eighteen is it? yeesh, years buying books for the small people in my life. I had several initial criteria for these books:
- Did I love the book as a kid?
Did the book when a Coldecott or Newbury award?
Is the book based on folklore or mythology?
But as I soon had to send books to multiple kids in a family, I had to broaden my criteria a bit, and then found books where the main character was a girl, or loved math or science, or the book was set in a country that doesn't have English as a primary language. These are also things I loved reading about as a kid, so I started to look for more books that met those criteria. By now I've got a pretty good list of books for kids; I'm looking into making this list into a database, so if you want a book about Math & Science, or with a girl as the main character, for middle grade readers, it'll generate a list meeting your criteria.
I haven't gotten that far yet, but I do have this page for now.
Some of the authors listed also write books with more adult themes. Be aware of that if you are browsing other books by those authors.
Board Books
Sandra Boynton
Moo Baa La La La (1982), The Going-To-Bed Book (1982), But Not the Hippopotamus (1982), Barnyard Dance! (1993), Hippos Go Berserk! (2000), Snuggle Puppy (2003), Happy Hippo Angry Duck (2011), Dinosaur Dance! (2016), Spooky Pookie (2017), Eek! Halloween! (2016)
Jan Brett
Lois Ehlert
Chris Ferrie
ABCs of Science (2017) | (Science & Math)
Picture Books
Aliki
A Medieval Feast | (History)
Heather Amery
Then and Now | (History)
Verna Aardema
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears | (Folklore) (Non-WASP)
Andrea Beaty
Rosie Revere Engineer (2013), Ada Twist Scientist (2016) | (Female) (Math & Science)
Cynthia Chin-Lee
Amelia to Zora | (Female) (Non-WASP)
Barbara Cooney
Miss Rumphius | (Female)
Jen Cullerton Johnson
Demi
One Grain of Rice | (Female) (Math & Science) (Non-WASP)
Tomie dePaola
Strega Nona (1975), The Clown of God (1978) | (Folklore)
The Spider and the Fly (2002)
Julia Donaldson
Wolves in the Walls (2003), The Dangerous Alphabet (2008), M Is for Magic (2007)
Cathy Goldberg Fishman
When Jackie and Hank Met | (Sports) (History) (Non-WASP)
Deborah Heiligman
The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos | (Math & Science) (History)
Margaret Hodges
The Kitchen Knight, Saint George and the Dragon | (History)
The Boy Who Drew Cats | (Non-WASP) (Folklore)
Elsa Holmelund Minarik
Little Bear (1957)
Paul Goble
The Girl Who Loved Horses | (Folklore) (Female) (Non-WASP)
Susan Hood
Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay | (Music) (Non-WASP)
Rachel Isadora
The Princess and the Pea | (Folklore) (Non-WASP)
Jory John
William Joyce
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore
Ezra Jack Keats
Goggles (1969), The Snowy Day (1962) | (Non-WASP)
Kathleen Krull
Wilma Unlimited | (Female) (History) (Non-WASP)
Munro Leaf
The Story of Ferdinand (1936)
Gerald McDermott
Anansi the Spider | (Folklore) (Non-WASP)
Rafe Martin
Rough Faced Girl | (Folklore) (Non-WASP)
Robert McCloskey
Blueberries for Sal (1948)
Lauren Mills
Arlene Mosel
The Funny Little Woman (1972), Tikki Tikki Tembo (1968) | (Folklore)
Jon J Muth
Basho and the River Stones (2004)
Mal Peet
Cloud Tea Monkeys | (Female) (Non-WASP)
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra (2006) | (Music) (History) (Non-WASP)
Patricia Polacco
Babushka Baba Yaga (1993), The Keeping Quilt (1988), Rechenka's Eggs (1988)
Antoinette Portis
Where’s My Cow? (2005)
Christopher Raschka
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop (1997), Mysterious Thelonious (1997), John Coltraine's Giant Steps (2002) | (Music) (History) (Non-WASP)
Doreen Rappaport
Elizabeth Started All the Trouble | (Female) (History)
Peter H. Reynolds
Ish (Creatrilogy), The Dot (2003)
John Rocco
Allen Say
Tea with Milk | (Female) (History) (Non-WASP)
Maurice Sendak
Where the Wild Things Are (1963), In the Night Kitchen (1970), Chicken Soup with Rice (1972)
Esphyr Slobodkina
Caps for Sale (1940) | (Folklore)
Ashley Spires
The Most Magnificent Thing (2014) | (Female) (Math & Science)
Uri Shulevitz
Tanya Lee Stone
The House that Jane Built (Female) (History)
Herve Tullet
Mix It Up (Art), Press Here (2011)
Deborah Underwood
Intersteller Cinderella | (Female)
Laurie Wallmark
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine | (Math & Science) (History) (Female)
Jonah Winter
Frida (Art) (History)
Free Fall (1988), Tuesday (1991), Sector 7 (1999), Flotsam (2006), Art & Max (2010)
Susan Wojciechowski
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
Maureen Wright
Margot Zemach
It Could Always Be Worse (1976) | (Folklore)
Young Reader
Gail Carson Levine
Ella Enchanted (Female)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964), Danny, The Champion of the World (1975)
A Circle of Cats (2003)
Sid Fleischman
McBrooms Wonder One-Acre Farm (1972)
Coraline (2002) (Female), Odd & the Frost Giants, The Graveyard Book (2008)
Monster on the Hill (2013)
Russell Hoban
Best Friends for Frances, Bread and Jam for Frances (1964)
Leo Lionni
Frederick (1967), Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse (1969), Inch by Inch (1960), Fish Is Fish (1970),
Betty MacDonald
Mrs Piggle Wiggle (1947)
Mary Norton
Scott O'Dell
Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960), The Black Pearl
The Old Man Mad About Drawing: A Tale of Hokusai (2004) | (Art) (History) (Non-WASP)
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Esperanza Rising | (Female) (Non-WASP)
A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning (1999)
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place:The Mysterious Howling (2009), The Hidden Gallery (2011)
Middle Grade (See also)
Kelly Barnhill
The Girl Who Drank the Moon | (Female) (Non-WASP)
Robert Beatty
Serafina and the Black Cloak | (Female)
Joanna Cole
Best-Loved Folktales of the World (1982) | (Folklore)
Artemis Fowl (2002) | (Fantasy)
Sharon Creech
Walk Two Moons (Female) (Non-WASP), The Wanderer | (Female)
Karen Cushman
Catherine Called Birdy | (Female) (History)
Danny, The Champion of the World (1975), The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (1977)
Kate DiCamillo
The Tale of Despereaux | (Fantasy)
Deborah Heiligman
Charles & Emma - The Darwin's Leap of Faith | (Math & Science)
Norton Juster
Phantom Tollbooth (1961)
Jacqueline Kelly
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate | (Female) (Math & Science)
Madeleine L'Engle
A Wrinkle in Time (1962), A Wind In the Door (1973), A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978) | (Math & Science) (Fantasy)
Thanhha Lai
Inside Out and Back Again | (Female) (Non-WASP)
Ingrid Law
Savvy | (Female) (Fantasy)
Grace Lin
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon | (Female) (Non-WASP)
Astrid Lindgren
Pippi Longstocking (1945) | (Female)
Bloody Jack (2002)
Sara Pennypacker
Pax (2012)
Amazing Maurice & His Educated Rodents (2001), The Wee Free Men (2003), A Hat Full of Sky (2004), Wintersmith (2006), I Shall Wear Midnight (2010) | (Fantasy)
Ellen Raskin
The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues, The Westing Game (1978)
Rick Riordan
The Lightning Thief (2005), Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer (2015) | (Mythology)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1998), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1999), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2001), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2005), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007) | (Fantasy)
Noelle Stevenson
Lumberjanes Vol 1, Nimona | (Female)
Jeremy Whitley
Princeless: Save Yourself (2012), Get Over Yourself (2013), The Pirate Princess, Be Yourself, Make Yourself | (Female) (Non-WASP) (Fantasy)
Hippolyta and the Curse of the Amazons | (Female) (Mythology)
Older Kids / YA (See also)
Kingdom of the Golden Dragon (2004) (Fantasy)
Anna Dressed in Blood (2011), Girl of Nightmares (2012) (Fantasy)
Etiquette & Espionage (Female) (Fantasy)
A Wolf at the Door (2000),Swan Sister (2003) (Fantasy)
Waifs and Strays (2002), The Blue Girl (2004), Little (Grrl) Lost (2007), Dingo (2008) (Fantasy)
A Fistful of Sky (2002), Stir of Bones (2003), Spirits that Walk in Shadow (2006), Ghost Hedgehog (2011)
Dorothy Hoobler
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn (Female)
Madeleine L'Engle
A Wrinkle in Time (1962), A Wind In the Door (1973), A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978) (Fantasy)
Favorite African Folktales (2002)
The Hero and the Crown (Female) (Fantasy)
Sabriel: Sabriel (1997), Lirael (2002), Abhorsen (2003), Across the Wall (2005) (Fantasy)
Mister Monday (2003)
Shadowshaper (2015), Ghost Girl in the Corner (2016), Shadowhouse Fall (2017) (Female) (Non-WASP) (Fantasy)
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass (1996), The Subtle Knife (1997), The Amber Spyglass (2000) (Fantasy)
Pride & Joy (2003), Teenage Wasteland (2003), The Good Die Young (2004), True Believers (2005). Escape to New York (2006), Parental Guidance (2006), Live Fast (2007), Civil War: Runaways & New Avengers (2007) (Fantasy)
Sorcery & Cecelia -OR- The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (1988), The Grand Tour (2004), The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After (2006) (Female) (Fantasy)
Raven Boys: The Raven Boys (2012), The Dream Thieves (2013), Blue Lily, Lily Blue (2014) (Fantasy)
The Scorpio Races (Female) (Fantasy)
The Bartimaeus Trilogy: The Amulet of Samarkand (2003), The Golem’s Eye (2004), Ptolemy’s Gate (2006)
Mariko Tamaki (Fantasy)
This One Summer (Female)
The Hobbit (1937) (Fantasy)
The Thief (1996), The Queen of Attolia (2000), The King of Attolia (2006), A Conspiracy of Kings (2010)
Instead of Three Wishes (2006) (Fantasy)
G. Willow Wilson
Ms. Marvel: Vol. 1 No Normal (2014), Vol. 2: Generation Why (2015), Vol. 3: Crushed (2015), Vol. 4: Last Days (2015) (Female) (Non-WASP) (Fantasy)
A Wolf at the Door (2000), Swan Sister (2003) (Fantasy)
Sorcery & Cecelia -OR- The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (1988), The Grand Tour (2004), The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After (2006) (Female) (Fantasy)
Matter of Magic (2010): Mairelon the Magician (1991) and The Magician’s Ward (1997) (Female) (Fantasy)
Laurence Yep
Dragon's Gate (Non-WASP) (Fantasy)